Oh German Shepherd folks... what's this Panda Shepherd?

It's actually not new at all.  It's some sort of genetic thing (I'm not good with color and pattern genetics).  Yes some breeders think they can charge more (same with blues, livers, etc) but no one reputable would.  Yes they can be registered, they are still a purebred GSD.  I've seen thousands of GSDs in person and have never seen a panda (and I've seen one blue that randomly came out of black and tan parents).

The panda is a purebred GSD, it can be registered and can compete in everything but conformation.

The color is not recognized and is a mutation of a gene.

I honestly feel that further breeding, though the dogs are pure, is just for monetary gain. The White GSD people have been trying for years to that color recognized, I doubt these will be any different.

 What a neat looking dog! Of course, I am partial to tris.

tiffy

 What a neat looking dog! Of course, I am partial to tris.

 They actually are not truly tricolor but normal colored GSDs with piebald markings. This is a sable "panda":

 And a black "panda":

Like everyone said, they are a mutation that popped up in a litter that the breeders decided to select for. I think at this point, most have white GSD lines in them but the original ones were from German lines. I had a genetics person explain what caused these markings to me at one time but it was a long time ago and can't remember what she said. Basically it's a genetic "disease" that affects pigmentation. I don't think there are any other issues associated with it but I can't say for sure. White markings like this in ferrets are associated with all sorts of other health issues - deafness, cardiomyopathy, limb and jaw deformities, reproductive problems and digestive problems. I have heard of such issues in some white marked dogs but there are a lot of breeds of dogs who have piebald coloring that do not have these other issues associated with it. I have never known or even seen a Panda shepherd IRL, so I can't really say. I love the color though, it's very striking.

I guess since I'm so used to the no white on a GSD that this is just odd to me.. it just looks off?

I don't think, as much as I LOVE GSD's , that this is a dog/pattern/variety I'd ever choose for myself. 

I don't really like it (or white) but it is extremely rare, even with a few breeders that are stupidly breeding for it.  Honestly the dog should not be chosen or bred based on any color pattern.  As long as the dog is correct and has the right pigmentation, health and temperament are what matter.  There are no varieties of GSD, it's either a correct one or not.  When I got Pan it was between three males and they each had totally different color.  We picked based on the temperament and goals each prospective owner had for the dogs. 

  I admit to liking the "odd" colors different breeds can come in. I don't feel strongly one way or another about people breeding the DQ colors/coats. I'd be pretty unlikely to buy a GSD that wasn't out of SchH titled, breed surveyed parents so the pandas would be out based on that alone. But I like how they look none the less. Certainly I'd not be paying more for a dog with a DQ fault either. It seems that at least most of the Panda breeders are doing health testing and breeding dogs from health tested pedigrees. I do think it would be really bad and short sighted for them to try to break off and have Panda Shepherds as a separate breed. Better to just breed them within the GSD population, so you have a much larger gene pool to work with.

Yeah I don't really care on way or the other about their existence (same as blues, livers, whites, the elusive brindle....) but so far I've never come across a breeder that was breeding the type of temperament I'd be interested in and the breeders that do have never had a panda.  I don't personally like the look b/c 1) I do show my dogs in two venues (even the working lines) and 2) to non-GSD people they don't look like a GSD and I don't think have the same presence as a visual deterrent, which is more important to me than having a unique looking dog.

I actually own a panda shepherd, they are so intelligent and very obedient.

Panda shepherds are rare, my pup was the only piebald out of his brothers and sisters and he was the first one to be born. Both parents are pure tan and black GSD. When you see one you might think they're cattle dogs but they're not, they get along with other dogs so well. When they see other GSD they click straight away.